Chop'T restaurant

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Just about every vegetarian has dined with an omnivore who immediately points out salad on the menu and says, "You can eat here." And while the gesture is thoughtful, there are times when vegans and vegetarians are just plain sick of salad. Chop'T restaurant on the East Coast changes the salad game for this crew.

Shamontiel L. Vaughn

Restaurants with buffets usually have a couple of cool toppings to put on salads but not enough for it to be different than any other salad location. However, the Chop'T restaurant location near Washington D.C.'s Metro Red Line Station has excellent customer service, surprisingly speedy lines for a crowded spot and a large selection of side items to make a blended salad.

For those hanging out in D.C. to check out the Lincoln Memorial, MLK Memorial, The White House or any other place that's accessible by Metro train lines, it's worth taking a break at 618 12th Street NW or their neighboring locations to try the Vegetarian Powerhouse salad.

The pita bread on the side isn't much to brag about, and bread lovers would be better off grabbing some from Cosi's, which is located across the street closer to the train. Unless you like the taste of mineral water, ditch the gross Sparkling Grapefruit drink and opt for water or iced tea.

The salad is the main attraction, but there are sandwiches, too. Their tofu is made free of genetically modified (GMO) soybeans, the salad dressing is homemade and vegetables (ex. beets) come from a farm instead of a can. Omnivore friends will find plenty to munch on, too. All of the food is fresh and worth eating just one more salad.

Follow Shamontiel on Pinterest for all of her latest Chicago nutrition and fitness entries, or subscribe to her Chicago Diet and Exercise channel at the top of this page. Also, follow her @BlackHealthNews.

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Shamontiel has always been interested in a vegetarian lifestyle since her childhood days of watching a friend eat meatless spaghetti. She slowly started pushing meat to the side in elementary and high school, but it wasn't until college when she bought all of her own groceries that she stopped eating meat altogether. After writing her first novel, "Change for a Twenty" and including a main character who was a vegetarian, a PETA representative contacted her. Teaming up to talk with a PETA rep who focused on hip-hop's influence on vegetarianism made Shamontiel's interest go from not eating meat for taste reasons to not eating meat for moral reasons. She is a 10-year vegetarian and tries her bust to support animal-friendly products. For feedback or press queries, contact her at Shamontiel.com.